Can Econometrics Improve Economic Forecasting?

After reviewing the history of analyses of economic forecasting, the role of econometrics in improving economic forecasting is considered, building on Clements and Hendry (1994a). The basis of the analysis is a world where model selection is difficult, no model coincides with the economic mechanism,...

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Main Authors: Hendry, D, Clements, M
Format: Journal article
Language:English
Published: Swiss Society of Economics and Statistics (SSES) 1994
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author Hendry, D
Clements, M
author_facet Hendry, D
Clements, M
author_sort Hendry, D
collection OXFORD
description After reviewing the history of analyses of economic forecasting, the role of econometrics in improving economic forecasting is considered, building on Clements and Hendry (1994a). The basis of the analysis is a world where model selection is difficult, no model coincides with the economic mechanism, and that mechanism is both non-stationary and evolves over time. On the constructive side, econometric analysis suggests ways of reducing each of the resulting five sources of forecast uncertainty (parameter non-constancy; estimation uncertainty; variable uncertainty; innovation uncertainty; and model misspecification). On the critical side, the lack of invariance of forecast evaluation procedures to the representation of the model may camouflage inadequate models. We show that forecasts generated from vector autoregressions in differences may be more robust to certain forms of structural change over the forecast period, and that a similar result can be achieved by suitable forms of intercept corrections in vector error-correction mechanisms.
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spelling oxford-uuid:98f354c0-de1c-4ec7-9991-5a79a7c951f12022-03-27T00:10:41ZCan Econometrics Improve Economic Forecasting?Journal articlehttp://purl.org/coar/resource_type/c_dcae04bcuuid:98f354c0-de1c-4ec7-9991-5a79a7c951f1EnglishDepartment of Economics - ePrintsSwiss Society of Economics and Statistics (SSES)1994Hendry, DClements, MAfter reviewing the history of analyses of economic forecasting, the role of econometrics in improving economic forecasting is considered, building on Clements and Hendry (1994a). The basis of the analysis is a world where model selection is difficult, no model coincides with the economic mechanism, and that mechanism is both non-stationary and evolves over time. On the constructive side, econometric analysis suggests ways of reducing each of the resulting five sources of forecast uncertainty (parameter non-constancy; estimation uncertainty; variable uncertainty; innovation uncertainty; and model misspecification). On the critical side, the lack of invariance of forecast evaluation procedures to the representation of the model may camouflage inadequate models. We show that forecasts generated from vector autoregressions in differences may be more robust to certain forms of structural change over the forecast period, and that a similar result can be achieved by suitable forms of intercept corrections in vector error-correction mechanisms.
spellingShingle Hendry, D
Clements, M
Can Econometrics Improve Economic Forecasting?
title Can Econometrics Improve Economic Forecasting?
title_full Can Econometrics Improve Economic Forecasting?
title_fullStr Can Econometrics Improve Economic Forecasting?
title_full_unstemmed Can Econometrics Improve Economic Forecasting?
title_short Can Econometrics Improve Economic Forecasting?
title_sort can econometrics improve economic forecasting
work_keys_str_mv AT hendryd caneconometricsimproveeconomicforecasting
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